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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

New insights into Lafora disease

Short-term energy storage in animal cells is usually achieved through the accumulation of glucose, in the form of long and branched chains, known as glycogen. But when this accumulation happens in neurons it is fatal, causing them to degenerate. This neuronal deterioration and death associated with glycogen accumulation is the hallmark of an extremely rare and progressive type of epilepsy known as Lafora disease (LD).

29 Aug 2011

Men worse than women at protecting their skin in the sun

Nearly 90 per cent of British adults admit their skin has been sunburnt - with almost half experiencing pain as result of being in the sun.

29 Aug 2011

CD8 alpha+ dendritic cells can help the body beat back infection

The same trait that makes a rare immune cell invaluable in fighting some infections also can be exploited by other diseases to cause harm, two new studies show.

29 Aug 2011

Individuals with BAP1 gene mutation more likely to develop mesothelioma

Scientists have found that individuals who carry a mutation in a gene called BAP1 are susceptible to developing two forms of cancer - mesothelioma, and melanoma of the eye.

29 Aug 2011

QIAGEN acquires Cellestis

QIAGEN N.V. today announced that its acquisition of all the ordinary shares in Cellestis Limited by a way of a scheme of arrangement has been implemented.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 29 Aug 2011

Scientists identify six new genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes in South Asians

An international team of researchers led by Imperial College London has identified six new genetic variants associated with type-2 diabetes in South Asians. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, give scientists new leads in the search for diagnostic markers and drug targets to prevent and treat this major disease.

29 Aug 2011

FDA approves Abbott's Vysis ALK FISH test for NSCLC therapy selection

Abbott today announced it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new molecular diagnostic test designed to detect rearrangements of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene in non-small-cell lung cancer.

29 Aug 2011

Severe combined immunodeficiency treated successfully with gene therapy

Gene therapy can offer a cure for a rare condition that causes children’s immune systems to fail. In this rare condition, known as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), inherited genetic mutations mean that babies are unable to fight off infection, severely limiting their chances of surviving more than a few years. Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a rare genetic disorder estimated to affect between 1 in 200,000 and 1 in 1,000,000 live births

26 Aug 2011

Spatial light interference microscopy can measure all types of cell growth

University of Illinois researchers are giving a light answer to the heavy question of cell growth.

26 Aug 2011

Southampton scientists to develop new single molecule DNA sequencing method

A new method of single molecule DNA sequencing is being developed by scientists at the University of Southampton with funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council's Strategic Tools and Resources Development Fund.

26 Aug 2011

Researchers pave the way for functional analysis of non-protein-coding genes

When investigating cancer cells, researchers discovered numerous peculiarities: Particular RNA molecules are present in large numbers, particular genes are overactive. Do these characteristics have a relation to cancer? Do they promote cell growth? Do they inactivate growth brakes or are they just a whim of nature?

25 Aug 2011

NTNU Professors receive 2011 Anders Jahre's Award for Medical Research

NTNU Professors May-Britt and Edvard Moser have been selected for the 2011 Anders Jahre's Award for Medical Research. The award, which includes a NOK 1 million (€128,000) prize, is considered among the most prestigious of medical awards in the Nordic countries.

25 Aug 2011

Study: Rates of HIV have increased in Pakistan's general population

Rates of HIV have increased in Pakistan's general population, as the virus has spread beyond at-risk groups to women and their children, according to an international team of researchers, including a University of Florida scientist.

25 Aug 2011

New mouse brain atlas provides insight into how genes work in cerebral cortex

A new atlas of gene expression in the mouse brain provides insight into how genes work in the outer part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. In humans, the cerebral cortex is the largest part of the brain, and the region responsible for memory, sensory perception and language.

25 Aug 2011

Researchers trace source of latest cholera pandemic

Researchers have used next generation sequencing to trace the source and explain the spread of the latest (seventh) cholera pandemic. They have also highlighted the impact of the acquisition of resistance to antibiotics on shaping outbreaks and show resistance was first acquired around 1982.

25 Aug 2011

Repeated cocaine use can increase individual's risk of mood disorders

It is well established that a mood disorder can increase an individual's risk for substance abuse, but there is also evidence that the converse is true; substance abuse can increase a person's vulnerability to stress-related illnesses.

25 Aug 2011

Scientists discover nanoparticles can disrupt intracellular transport pathways

Scientists at the Centre of Cancer Biomedicine at the Norwegian Radium Hospital are the first to show that uptake and accumulation of nanoparticles in cells can disrupt important intracellular transport pathways.

24 Aug 2011

Largest ever molecular-genetic study of ependymomas of the cerebellum

Ependymomas are the second most frequent type of malignant brain tumor in children. Ependymoma develops from precursor cells of the tissue that lines the hollow cavities of the brain. Therapy results of ependymoma vary immensely: While in some patients tumor growth comes to a standstill after surgery and radiotherapy, in other children the disease rapidly takes a severe course.

24 Aug 2011

DTU, TGen researchers pinpoint source of cholera outbreak in Haiti

Employing technology that reads the entire DNA code, researchers led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have pinpointed the source of a cholera outbreak in Haiti that killed more than 6,000 people and sickened 300,000.

24 Aug 2011

New stem cell lines help study genetic, biological underpinnings of bipolar disorder

New stem cell lines developed from the skin of adults living with bipolar disorder are providing researchers at the University of Michigan Health System an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the genetic and biological underpinnings of the devastating mood disorder.

24 Aug 2011